Cabinet



W. R. BLACK Jan. 5, 1965 CABINET 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 6, 1960 INVENTOR Warren 12. ,Blaa'lg WITNESS ATTORNEY Jan. 5, 1965 W. R. BLACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 CABINET Filed Oct. 6, 1960 WITNESS nVa/uu 8. B/www INVENTOR Tt Zzrren .R. .BZaclL Mam/4w;

ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,164,431 Patented Jan. 5, 1965 3,164,431 CABINET Warren R. Black, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 6, 1960, Ser. No. 60,891 Claims. (Cl. 312-282) The present invention relates to cabinets and more particularly to a bedside stand primarily designed for use in hospital patient rooms though not necessarily limited to such use.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide a bedside stand or cabinet which when positioned alongside a hospital patients bed supplies a table top for the support of such frequently used articles as decanter, tumbler, ashtra etc., and also aifords upper and lower storage compartments, the upper compartment being suited for accommodation of the patients personal effects and being readily accessible to the patient, and the lower compartment providing storage space for such articles of hospital equipment as washbasin, bedpan, etc. and being readily accessible to nurse or other attendant; to provide in such a bedside cabinet a towel bar within easy reach of the bed patient, and a slipper rack at the base of the cabinet; to provide such novel features of construction as are hereinafter more particularly described; and in general to provide such a bedside stand or cabinet which is sturdy in construction, convenient in use, reasonably economical in manufacture and attractive in appearance.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of the new cabinet in fully closed condition;

FIGURE 2 is a similar front perspective view of the cabinet in fully open condition;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the cabinet;

FIGURE 4 is a rear perspective view of the cabinet in fully closed condition;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the cabinet with the cabinet top removed;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the metal frame of the cabinet top, the plastic cover of the top being omitted in this View;

FIGURE 7 is an exploded perspective view, somewhat fragmentary, of the storage rack for the cabinets lower compartment, and pivot mountings therefor;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged, central vertical sectional view of the cabinet, the plane of section being indicated by the line 8-8 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of parts of the cabinet tops frame;

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of parts of the cabinet with the cabinet top removed;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of parts of the cabinet taken on line 11-11 of FIG- URE 8;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view thereof taken on line 12-42 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, as if taken on the line 13-13 of FIGURE 8, of interrelated parts of the cabinet and the cabinet top in ver tically separated condition; and 1 FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of certain parts thereof taken on line 14-14 of FIG- URE 10.

Referring now in detail to these drawings, and referring first particularly to FIGURE 8 of the drawings, the bedside stand or cabinet there shown generally comprises a vertically elongated, cylindrically formed housing 20 having an open top, a circular bottom 21, and a circular partition 22 therein which divides the interior of the housing 20 into an upper compartment 23 and a lower compartment 24. Legs 25 are dependingly secured to the bottom 21 of the housing 20 as by means of welding, said legs 25 having casters 26 mounted on their lower ends whereby to facilitate moving of the cabinet from place to place. The housing 20 fully encloses the upper compartment 23 at the sides, and the housing has a doorway 27 of substantially semicylindrical extent through the lower front thereof giving access to the lower compartment 24.

Access may be had to the upper compartment 23 through the open top of the housing 20, and a cabinet top generally designated 28 serves both as a closure for the upper compartment and as a table top for supporting articles for the convenience of the bed patient. Pivotal mountings for the top are located at one side-the rear side-of the upper compartment 23, whereby the top 28 is mounted slightly above the top of the cabinet for free swinging movement about a vertical axis to a position closing the open top of the housing and the upper compartment, and to open positions giving access to the upper compartment.

The top 28 is built upon a frame which is shown per se in FIGURE 6. The frame comprises a circular, inwardly opening channel rim 29, tubular metal struts 30, 31 spanning the rim and secured thereto as by means of welding, and a web 32 secured to the rim 29 and to the struts 30, 31 at one sidethe rear sideof the frame. The pivotal mountings for the top 28 comprise a tubular pintle 33 having its upper end secured as by welding to the web 32. This pintle 33 depends from the top 28 and is turnably and removably disposed in a tubular bearing member 34 secured as by welding to the partition 22 and extending upwardly therefrom. Nylon bushings 35 and 36 (see FIGURE 8) are desirably interposed between the bearing member 34 and the pintle 33 at the top and bottom respectively, to insure smooth and quiet operation and long wear of these parts. A circular flange 37 eX tends outwardly from a collar threaded on the upper end of the tubular bearing member 34. The flange 37 has locating depressions 38 therein which are engageable by locating projections 39 on the underside of the tops web 32, whereby the top is releasably maintained in closed or open positions. As here shown, the locating depressions 38 and projections 39 are arranged at right angles in such a way that the top 28 is releasably maintained in closed position, in swung positions either way, or in a swung position. The locating depressions 38 and projections 39 are relatively shallow so that they may be disengaged, and the top swung between its closed and open positions, with a very slight push or pull on the top by the bed patient.

A plastic cover 40 is provided for the top 28, said cover having a smooth circular upper surface for the support of articles, and a depending peripheral flange 41 which snugly engages and conceals the. channel rim 29 of the tops frame. A peripheral ridge 42 is provided on the plastic cover 40 to prevent articles from sliding off the top, said ridge 42 having a short gap 43 at the rear of the top to facilitate wiping off the top. On the underside of the top .28 there is provided a smooth circular plate 44 which may be of metal and may be secured to the tops frame as by means of welding (see FIGURES 8 and 13).

A plastic liner 45 is provided for the upper compartment 23, said liner having a circular upper peripheral rim 46 which extends outwardly and downwardly from the body of the liner and which engages the circular upper rim of the housing 2% so that the body of the liner 45 is suspended within the upper compartment 23. The liner is formed with a void 47 at its rear center (see FIGURE 8) for accommodating the tops pivotal mountings, and with a circular opening 48 in its upper surface to provide a clearance for the flange 37. Thus the linear may readily be lifted out of the upper compartment for cleaning. Desirably, and as shown, the liner is compartmented for the patients convenience in storing personal effects. The upper rim of the liner 45 has upwardly molded projections 49 on which glide the smooth undersurface of the top 28 during the tops swinging movements.

A storage rack, shown per se in FIGURE 7, is pivotally mounted in the lower compartment 24 of the housing 2%, for turning movement about a vertical axis through the centerof the cylindrical housing. The storage rack comprises a cylindrically formed segmental side wall 5% of slightly greater than semicylindrical form, having mounted thereon a circular top 51, a circular bottom 52 and an intermediate circular shelf 53. The top 51, bottom 52 and shelf 53 are identically formed for reasons of economy, and each has a peripheral flange secured as by means of welding to the inside of the side wall Sit.

The pivotal mountings of the storage rack in the cabinet. comprise a bearing 54 at the upper center of the storage racks top 51, a bearing 55 at the lower center of the racks bottom 52, and pivot pins 56, 57 extending downwardly from the lower center of the partition 22 and upwardly from the upper center of the housings bottom 21 and into the bearings 54, 55 respectively. The cylindrically formed, segmental side wall 56 of the storage rack comprises a door for the housings doorway 27. It will be seen that the. storage rack is turnable within the housing to a closed position wherein the door serves as a closure for the doorway 27 and to open positions giving access to the interior of the cabinet and to the storage rack, for the removal and replacement of such items of hospital equipment as washbasin, bedpan, etc. Nylon bushings 58, 59 are desirably interposed between the bearings 54, 5S and pivot pins 56, 57 respectively, thus providing for smooth noiseless operation and long wear.

A handle 69 is mounted on the outside of the storage racks side wall or door 50 near one of the doors vertical edges, said handle projecting outwardly through the housings doorway 27 and providing readily accessible means for manually turning the storage rack between open and closed positions. The handle 60 also serves as a stop adapted to contact the vertical edges of the housing adjacent the doorway 27 to limit turning movement of the storge rack in both directions. Rubber bumpers 61 are desirably provided on both sides of the handle as for silently stopping the door when it reaches its limits of movement.

On the upper rear outside wall of the housing 24 is mounted a towel bar or, and as here shown, a pair of towel bars 62. A mounting bracket 63 is secured to said outside wall of the cylindrical housing as by means of rivets as, said bracket having radially, rearwardly opening sockets 65 therein (see FIGURE 12). One end of each towel bar 62 is secured in one of the sockets 65 as by means of a screw 66. The towel bars 62 extend from the mounting bracket 63 radially outwardly and thence oppositely in parallelism with the cylindrically formed housing 20, and finally radially inwardly at 67 into secured engagement with the outer wall of the housing. The portions 67 of the towel bars 62 have their terminals reduced in diameter and threaded, said terminals passing through apertures in the housing and having nuts 68 threaded thereon to secure the towel bars inv place.

The rivets 64 serve a dual purpose; they secure the mounting bracket 63 to the outside wall of the housing 20, and they also secure a stabilizing bracket 69 (see FIG- URES ll and 13) to the inside wall of the housing. The bracket '69 has an inwardly extending horizontal flange having a semicircular recess 7a which receives the upper end of thetubular bearing member 34 for stabilizing the upper end of said bearing member and preventing distortion thereof. A screw 71 is passed downwardly through flange 37 and is threaded into bracket 69, for

d. positively preventing turning of the flanges collar threaded on the upper end of the tubular bearing member 34.

A circular slipper rack 72, fabricated as shown of rod or wire stock, is secured as by means of welding to the lower ends of the legs 25, above the casters 26, for the convenient storage of the bed patients slippers.

To lend rigidity to the structure and also for the sake of appearance, the bottom 21 of the housing is secured to the cylindrically formed side wall 26 thereof by means of rivets 73 which pass through a depending peripheral flange 74 on the bottom 21, through the lower marginal edge of the side wall 20, and through the web of a circular outwardly opening channel member 75 (see FIG- URE 8). A decorative inwardly opening channel member 76 may then be applied over the channel member 75 and secured in position by means of a short channel strip 77 applied over the meeting ends of the channel member 75 and secured thereto as by means of rivets indicated at 78 in FIGURE 8. A decorative molding '79 may also be applied around the housings doorway 27 and secured in position as by means of metal screws fit) passing through the molding and through adjacent parts of the housing.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a bedside stand or cabinet having many novel features of utility, design and construction, and while but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details thereof may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invetnion as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A bedside cabinet of the type having a lower compartment for the storage of utensils or the like and an upper compartment accessible to the bed occupant for storage of his personal efifects, said cabinet comprising: An upright housing open at the top; a partition secured within the housing and dividing the interior thereof into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, said housing fully enclosing the upper compartment at the sides while giving access to said upper compartment through the open top of the housing, and said housing having a doorway opening through a lower side thereof giving access to the lower compartment through said doorway; and a unitary top pivotally mounted at one side of the upper compartment for swinging moving about a vertical axis to a position closing the open top of the housing and to open positions giving access to said upper compartment, said top when in its closing position being spaced slightly above the uppermost rim of the housing so that only a slight sidewise push against the top eflects free swinging movement thereof to open position, said housing being of vertically elongated cylindrical form and said unitary top being circular, said cabinet having a cylindrically formed segmental door pivotally mounted in said lower compartment for turning movement about a vertical axis through the center of the housing to a position closing the doorway and to positions giving access to said lower compartment, the pivotal mounting of said circular top in the upper compartment comprising a tubular bearing member secured to and extending upwardly from said partition adjacent the side wall of the upper compartment, and a pintle secured to and depending from the underside of said circular top adjacent a side edge thereof, said pintle being turnably and removably disposed in said tubular bearing, and in which a circular flange extends outwardly from the upper end of said tubular bearing member and is provided with locating depressions which are engageable by locating projections on the underside of the top for releasably maintaining the top in closed or open positions, said depressions and projections being relatively shallow so that they may be disengaged, the top svmng between its closed and open positions, with a slight push or pull on the top.

2. A cabinet comprising: a vertically elongated, cylin drically formed housing providing an upper compartment the opening at the top and a lower compartment opening at the side; a liner removably disposed in the upper compartment, said liner having a circular, upper peripheral rim extending outwardly and downwardly and engageable with the circular upper rim of the housing whereby the body of the liner is suspended in said upper compartment; and a circular top comprising a frame including a circular inwardly opening channel rim and a cover having a circular upper surface and a depending peripheral flange snugly engaging and concealing said channel rim.

3. A bedside cabinet of the type having a lower compartment for the storage of utensils or the like and an upper compartment accessible to the bed occupant for the storage of his personal eilects, said cabinet comprising: a vertically elongated, cylindrically formed housing open at the top; a partition secured within the housing and dividing the interior thereof into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, said housing fully enclosing the upper compartment at the sides while giving access to said upper compartment through the open top of the housing, and said housing having a doorway opening through a lower side thereof giving access to the lower compartment through said doorway; a plastic liner removably disposed in the upper compartment, said liner having a circular, upper peripheral rim extending outwardiy and downwardly and engageable with the circular upper rim of the housing whereby the body of the liner is suspended in said upper compartment; and a circular top comprising a frame including a circular inwardly opening channel rim, and a plastic cover having a circular upper surface and a depending peripheral flange snugly engaging and concealing said channel rim, said circular top being pivotally mounted at one side of the upper compartment for swinging movement about a vertical axis to a position closing the open top of the upper compartment and to open positions giving access to said upper compartment, said top when in its closing position being spaced sli htly above the upper rim on said liner so that only a slight sidewise push against the top effects free swinging movement thereof to open position.

4. A cabinet comprising: a vertically elongated, cylindrically formed housing; a mounting bracket secured to the upper outer wall of the housing and provided with a pair of inwardly extending sockets; a pair of towel bars each having one end thereof secured in one of said sockets, said towel bars extending from the mounting bracket radially outwardly and thence oppositely in parallelism with the cylindrically formed housing and finally radially inwardly into secured engagement with the outer wall of the housing.

5. A bedside cabinet of the type having a lower compartment for the storage of utensils or the like and an upper compartment accessible to the bed occupant for the storage of his personal effects, said cabinet comprising: a vertically elongated, cylindrically formed housing having a circular bottom and an open top; a circular partition secured within the housing and dividing the interior thereof into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, said housing fully enclosing the upper compartment at the Sides and having a doorway into the lower compartment through the lower front thereof; a unitary circular top pivotally mounted at one side of the upper compartment for swinging movement about a vertical axis to a position closing the open top of the housing and to positions giving access to said upper compartment; a cylindrically formed segmental door pivotally mounted in the lower compartment for turning movement about a vertical axis through the center of the housing to a position closing said doorway and to positions giving access to said lower compartment; a towel bar mounted on the upper rear outer wall of the housing, the body of the towel bar being spaced from the housing and concentric therewith, and the ends of the towel bar being turned radially inwardly and secured to the housing; legs secured to and depending from the bottom of the housing and provided with casters mounted at their lower ends; and a circular slipper rack secured to said legs between the bottom of the housing and said casters.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 55,982 Bayley July 3, 1866 661,112 Vanderlinda Nov. 6, 1900 1,230,623 Teven June 19, 1917 1,249,706 Zimmerman Dec. 11, 1917 1,490,814 Flanagan Apr. 15, 1924 1,916,435 Ott July 4, 1933 1,916,832 Fehl July 4, 1933 1,946,917 Ross Feb. 13, 1934 2,412,068 Spader Dec. 3, 1946 2,569,117 Schade Sept. 25, 1951 2,886,393 Tonning et a1 May 12, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 136,952 Australia Apr. 14, 1950 494,336 Belgium Mar. 31, 1950 495,018 Great Britain Nov. 3, 1938 802,265 Germany Feb. 8, 1951 

1. A BEDSIDE CABINET OF THE TYPE HAVING A LOWER COMPARTMENT FOR THE STORAGE OF UTENSILS OR THE LIKE AND AN UPPER COMPARTMENT ACCESSIBLE TO THE BED OCCUPANT FOR THE STORAGE OF HIS PERSONAL EFFECTS, SAID CABINET COMPRISING: AN UPRIGHT HOUSING OPEN AT THE TOP; A PARTITION SECURED WITHIN THE HOUSING AND DIVIDING THE INTERIOR THEREOF INTO AN UPPER COMPARTMENT AND A LOWER COMPARTMENT, SAID HOUSING FULLY ENCLOSING THE UPPER COMPARTMENT AT THE SIDES WHILE GIVING ACCESS TO SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE OPEN TOP OF THE HOUSING, AND SAID HOUSING HAVING A DOORWAY OPENING THROUGH A LOWER SIDE THEREOF GIVING ACCESS TO THE LOWER COMPARTMENT THROUGH SAID DOORWAY; AND A UNITARY TOP PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT ONE SIDE OF THE UPPER COMPARTMENT FOR SWINGING MOVING ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS TO A POSITION CLOSING THE OPEN TOP OF THE HOUSING AND TO OPEN POSITIONS GIVING ACCESS TO SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT, SAID TOP WHEN IN ITS CLOSING POSITION BEING SPACED SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE UPPERMOST RIM OF THE HOUSING SO THAT ONLY A SLIGHT SIDEWISE PUSH AGAINST THE TOP EFFECTS FREE SWINGING MOVEMENT THEREOF TO OPEN POSITION, SAID HOUSING BEING OF VERTICALLY ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL FORM AND SAID UNITARY TOP BEING CIRCULAR, SAID CABINET HAVING A CYLINDRICALLY FORMED SEGMENTAL DOOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT FOR TURNING MOVEMENT ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE HOUSING TO A POSITION CLOSING THE DOORWAY AND TO POSITIONS GIVING ACCESS TO SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT, THE PIVOTAL MOUNTING OF SAID CIRCULAR TOP IN THE UPPER COMPARTMENT COMPRISING A TUBULAR BEARING MEMBER SECURED TO AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID 